Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 29 Such a wonderful start?

General José Sanhuljo, commander of the 24th Division, is a man who sleeps very well.

While cannons roared outside Seville, he remained fast asleep in his boudoir.

It wasn't until his chief of staff rushed into his privately requisitioned detached house and roughly woke him from his mistress's arms that the division commander of the Kingdom's army realized the enemy had launched an attack.

When he learned from his chief of staff that 70% of the artillery positions outside the city had been hit by precise artillery fire, he completely lost his mind.

He shoved his mistress off the bed, jumped up abruptly, and looked utterly incredulous.

"What did you say? Seventy percent of the magic crystal cannon positions are destroyed?!"

"Yes, General, the enemy's artillery fire is too accurate, and for some reason, they have a very good grasp of the location of our magic crystal cannon positions."

Sanhurjo felt a sudden dizziness. He had planned to force the enemy's main force to gather and launch an attack by retreating back to Seville.

Then, by utilizing the powerful anti-crowd capability of the magic crystal cannon, they inflicted heavy casualties on them—this tactic had achieved very good results against the National Army and the International Brigades on other fronts.

The Britannians also stated that even Saxon infantry would suffer heavy losses when bombarded by magic crystal cannons.

However, what the Britannians didn't tell Sanhurjo was that the Saxon artillery wouldn't be suppressed.
The battle had barely begun when their most important heavy firepower had been severely damaged, leaving Sanhurho feeling unsure of what to do next.

He forced himself to calm down and practically roared at the chief of staff:
"Pass on my order! All units immediately move into their designated positions! Organize the defense according to the original plan! Under no circumstances should the enemy be allowed to approach Seville!"

The chief of staff nodded and was about to say something when the door to the room was suddenly pushed open again.

A messenger rushed in, stumbling and crawling, his voice trembling with tears.

"General! Something terrible has happened! The enemy's main ground forces are launching a full-scale attack on our southeastern defense line!"
-
As the whistling of the last round of shells faded into the distance, the sharp sound of the charge whistle shattered the brief silence on the battlefield.

"All company, attack!"

Captain Hauser’s roar echoed across the 3rd Company’s position, and then a large number of figures in field gray uniforms leaped up from behind the earthen mounds and shell craters where they were hiding.

The three companies of the 1st Battalion spread out in multiple skirmish lines, with each soldier spaced 4-5 steps apart.

The entire column resembled a thin gray line, surging towards the high ground that was still belching black smoke.
On this front outside Seville, a total of 2 troops, including the Saxon Expeditionary Force, the International Brigades, three infantry brigades and two cavalry regiments of the National Army, participated in the offensive.

The 1st Battalion of the 32nd Regiment, where Morin was stationed, was just one of the tactical units in this large-scale offensive.

Looking out, the entire horizon was filled with soldiers rushing forward, their shouts of battle, officers' commands, and heavy footsteps all mixed together.

This is a symphony unique to war.

Morin was also a note in this symphony; this was the first time he had personally participated in such a grand charge since coming into this world.

Or rather, given the military technology and rules before the transmigration, such large-scale charges were no longer possible.

Until the moment before he traveled through time, Mo Lin's career plan was to enter the military after graduating from military academy, undergo rigorous training, and gradually solidify his professional skills and various expertise.

Then, in some future, he will command the strongest heavy combined arms battalion on Earth, galloping across the battlefield, drinking water at Zhurihe, and climbing Naroda.
But why am I now on an unfamiliar battlefield, carrying a long, heavy, old-fashioned rifle, charging forward at the risk of being hit by bullets at any moment?

He was still wearing that damned, non-protective, and non-breathable pointed helmet on his head.
He gripped the rifle tightly, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, unable to distinguish between anger, tension, or excitement.

On the system map in the upper left corner of the view, countless blue arrows representing the 16th Infantry Brigade and friendly forces resemble a giant comb, brushing across the land outside Seville. The 32nd Infantry Regiment is located on the far left flank of the entire brigade, and their 1st Battalion is on the far left flank of the regiment.

The 1st Battalion, having already suffered casualties, was now in charge of a magic crystal cannon position that had been attacked by artillery.

The effectiveness of the 105mm field howitzer was obvious; it encountered almost no decent resistance during its ascent of the high ground.

On the shattered artillery positions, the twisted corpses of Kingdom soldiers and weapons blown to pieces were everywhere.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, dirt, and blood.

Morin led three platoons of soldiers, stepping on the soft, scorched earth, and quickly occupied the territory that had just belonged to the enemy.

Those magic crystal cannons that once posed a challenge to everyone have now turned into piles of twisted metal emitting black smoke, no longer posing a threat.
-
Morin cautiously approached the high ground on the side closest to Seville, where the view suddenly opened up.

With the guidance of the system map, he could clearly see the overall situation of the battlefield. This was the first time he had experienced what it was like for an army of 2 to launch a frontal attack.

In the center, the three infantry regiments of the Saxon Army's 16th Infantry Brigade, the main attacking force, were lined up like a sharp dagger, having already pierced directly into the Kingdom's defenses.

Meanwhile, about 600 meters to the left of the 1st Battalion, another unit was launching an equally fierce attack.

Those were soldiers from the International Brigades.

Their clothing was a motley collection, and their equipment consisted of outdated rifles provided by the Saxon Empire, with no heavy machine guns or mortars to provide fire support.

Yet their fighting spirit was frighteningly tenacious.

Facing the Kingdom's army's defenses, they practically pushed forward with their bare flesh and blood.

After only a brief exchange of fire, they launched a fearless charge, using bayonets and shovels in close-quarters combat to drive back the numerically superior enemy.
"Attention, all companies! Establish a defensive line on the spot! Hold this high ground!"

Just as Morin was getting excited about the International Brigades' attack, Major Thomas's order was quickly relayed to every company by messengers.

This is a decision that is entirely in line with current Saxon military manuals.

This high ground offers an excellent view overlooking a large area, making it a superb artillery observation post and fire support point.

They could even deploy artillery directly from here, using artillery fire to cover the entire Seville, so it must be firmly under their control.

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, using existing shell craters and crates and sandbags abandoned by the enemy to quickly construct makeshift shelters.

But a strong sense of unease rose in Morin's heart.

He knew very well that the previous reconnaissance was unlikely to have marked all of the enemy's artillery positions.

Therefore, no matter how well the counter-battery operation was executed, it is highly unlikely that all of the enemy's long-range firepower points were destroyed.

Since this area was previously the location of the Kingdom's magic crystal cannons, the enemy must have the precise coordinates and geographical information of this high ground.
Now that the Saxons have occupied this area, the surviving enemy artillerymen, barring any idiots, will inevitably target this place in their next bombardment.

The 1st Battalion has now concentrated almost all of its forces in this small area.
It's like they have "Come and bomb me" written all over their faces.

(End of this chapter)